What the GOP Must Take Away From 2012

Charlie Cook, the author of the Cook Political Report, says Republicans need to broaden their appeal ahead of the 2014 midterm and 2016 presidential elections.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... eighty eight Spencer and strange political your trust will close with Washington still teetering on the fiscal cliff ... welcome the DC bureau The Wall Street Journal's online politics show on Jerry Sithe ... and a talk about that strange politically or were joined by Charlie Cook were the ... greatest political minds in Washington and the publisher of the authoritative it would report thanks to a strange person that are rather strange ... well as your your words not mine ... but you know we did have an election he was a big one spouse lot of money in tow lot of people when the dust settled it looked as if was a total status quo lection Republicans still control the House ... Democrats to control the White House and Senate ... was this Tesco lection worded something changed me the ... ones I think the dynamics of the city are going to be buried here for for the next couple years bought ... me say right yes it was the status quo lection I think that ... I don't think the outcome of these the presidential race was pre ordained I think that ... to your Tebow thought Obama was always going to win ... with no no ay ay ... ay the year ago when we were talking I with this add ... the kind of economy we have is not one conducive to re elected president ... and and I mean I think ... to a certain extent there were some problems ... with the Romney campaign I think the Republican party brand ... is in worse shape than we thought ... um um a year ago ... but also think that there was a little amid the economy or a certain elements economy ... did pick up enough in September October ... for consumer confidence when up the perception that the economy moved enough that ... they get three hundred L millstone around the presents that became a seventy five pound Millstone ... by the end of the was a combination of factors but ... I think ... I can see I could see others couldn't get ... so given the outcome that we did have how you describe the balance of power in Washington now that it's over and ... in twenty thirteen ... while I still think the you've got to um ... well over half the Democrats in Congress well over half the Republicans in Congress ... who ... she knows need to compromise the copper was a four letter word a sign of weakness ... and Dom ... they reigned ahead of the president in their own ... in their own or redheaded the president for ahead of the ticket gates Republicans ... in their districts and ... they don't necessarily see a reason why they should have to compromise ... no cure Democrat you say we won one two we compromise with them ... and Republicans you know we have the house when she we compromise with them ... so I think they're still to be at loggerheads outlook that the numbers are something like Porter house those numbers one that this has increased more in the number of people who wanted districts carried by the other party's presidential candidate ... is only a couple dozen bright it's what is that ninety six percent of Democrats are in districts that Obama carried ninety four percent of Republicans ... for districts that Obama carried so in that sense the selection made the country more for us ... well I think redistricting has made the country more polarized out ... you know if I could wave a magic wand to do two things I think one would be ... redistricting reform and whether it's the I will read to the California ring the other would-be primary ... election reform ... so that Dom ... in one where no other independence if not others can vote in party primaries to try to ... try to get somewhat more moderate nominees because ... right now we're getting is way too many people on both sides the aisle ... that had no inclination or desire to ... to to to compromise ... so the goal would be the ideal outcome of some sort of change to be that not only create more competitive districts the more districts that the pre moderns to the surface dry dry and weary at least ... with the euro conservative whether you're a liberal ... you need to take the views of moderate voters into into ... into consideration ... and and I you know I'm beginning to think that we did what we can independents too much in May to what we ought to be doing is looking at people call themselves moderates ... because well there's a ten percent ... or ten percent for people to consume themselves conservatives and liberals ... the biggest group forty one percent the exit poll call themselves moderates ... so it probably is a center right country but the center seems ... to be the last part of that is the center is Boldin with on an underscored and ... and they're ... more more write them laugh but really more center that thing up ... the present Obama the guy who won re-election and was that it was a big victory electro college or modestly big victory in the overall vote ... how much power does he have going for a second term president is on the one hand liberated from having to run again which is in power in certain ways up on the other hand people start looking past you fairly quickly to the next time ... it's where does that leave this president under the circumstances in terms of how much power he ... well though I guess I would get the other way around is I don't think the president so much has a mandate ... as much is the Republican party has its confidence shaken ... make your testosterone levels are low ... in I think they realize um ... I think we all realize the repugnant party has a lot more problems than ... we thought too much to death ... and as result they are dealing from a position of weakness ... but it's not because the president so strong ... but because their parties got such ... so many profound problems that they have to deal with demographic generational ... of ideological problems ... and an even campaign sophistication where ... apparently you know it it now appears that the Republican ... political ... app or rather this is sort of been done ... after feet over the last eight years since the Bush reelection eighty ... nine and two the fore yet I think that the Republicans came away thinking there are at least three or four years added a terms just machinery ... and high technology and the smart Republican strategists now ... who didn't typically think that ... before and they don't believe that now to have much ... to our ego with ... which some that were you know clearly where behind the game is the denial ... are not among the professional ... blog ... you know you get up to a ... member who got re elected with sixty eight percent of both the the ... here she could lose on the back and they say you know what we're fine ... yet we we won ... which was broken here at the SEC which was ... the Democrats' problem which ... in a nutshell sees me is twenty fourteen and the Senate you've got twenty one Democrats up ... for re-election fourteen Republicans Democrats in states such as South Dakota West Virginia Louisiana Montana parts of Alaska ... Air show I'm not friendly ... to pollute candidates generally ... how big is the Democrats' problem in keeping the Senate in how does it affect the climate between down twenty fourteen well you know historically the six years Alexion's second term mid term elections are better ... for the party in the White House is a sense of ... people's ... growing since the time for change ... you they lose the energy they use for new ideas all of that ... in in in it she said when you go through the Senate races that are out this time ... Democrats have an enormous amount of exposure ... there's only one Republican seat it's not in a strongly Republican ... of state and that Susan Collins of Maine ... and mean while you have ... say seven eight Republicans or Democrats up ... in theory very very problematic state so ... um there's a lot of exposure there but having said that ... you know Republicans lost five out of the seven toss up races in two thousand and ten ... and a battered and ... in two thousand twelve if they don't fix their problems ... with Latino voters with younger voters with women voters ... up then no matter how great ... the the on paper they look they won't be able to do that well ... but while Republicans say with the problem there was just that can next year saying the prom is the brand and message sent to some extent you look at the exit polls on the presidential race and then look at him next to the Congressional action houses ... and ... every group with brawny was in within a digit or two ... of of the Republican congressional candidate the national exit polls ... on almost every variable this is ... this is not this was not just for Romney problem this is a Republican problem ... I mean for example ... Asian voters fastest growing group of gruel growing ethnic group in the country ... the three to nearly three percent electorate but fastest growing ... of Obama gets seventy three percent above ... two points higher than watching us ... I've never perceive the nation's road is a ... whole rise ... politically polarized ... um you know you there's basically a break off twenty forty five years of age or ... people forty five and older ... they're going they're going Republican ... forty fourth undergoing voting ... Democratic you and I are on the euro ... would you know that the of the forty four there on our estimates for another they're called the future for ... all of those lows of forty five and older with that ... the pre deathbed wish and wish to which group which you when your party yes and and which you know which is in the US and so ... that some real problems ... to deal with bloody Su one final question your week off before the sheer we had three straight change elections in ... two thousandsix two thousandeight two thousand and ten something big strong this year of nothing really strong but the real question is are we anywhere close ... to realigning alot one that really can ... shift the balance of power one where the acute fuel that that's coming to see it anywhere on the rise ... um ... I think the Republicans just need to be up ... in the house no doubt is the house is Khona lock key and it's got very little elasticity ... um ... in the Senate ... um I don't read the reply was don't have much they could lose this ... yet so ... so the Shorty answers no ... but I think Republicans Tuesday to take and take ... take a serious look ... really is twenty three look of the numbers and in terms of what you pointed out for two thousand fourteen midterm election ... in the Senate ... it and ... you know the iam two thousand two thousand sixteen presidential ... five times out of six other postwar era ... the party has had the White House for two terms of lost it to me theoretically on paper ... Republican should win the White House and those that stay ... but again ... they got to confront their problems first or thirty give or take advantage of what I want to be good situation that's why we have elections that's right that's right ... surely ... the same year thanks for